Accelerated Examination Procedure in Czech Patent Applications – PPH

The average authorization time for Czech invention patent applications is 4-6 years. In the Czech invention examination procedure, applicants are provided with the option of expedited examination, which is the PPH patent examination fast track.

The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) provides applicants with the opportunity to expedite patent examination, thereby obtaining appropriate patents more quickly and efficiently. It works by leveraging work already performed by other patent offices.

The PPH pilot program will allow applicants to request that the corresponding application be granted special status at the Office of Second Examination and have it examined earlier, following a decision by the Office of First Examination that at least one claim is patentable/allowable. The PPH pilot program is limited to using the search and examination results of national applications between cross-applications under the Paris Convention.

Using the PPH is the applicant’s choice. The Office of Second Filing (OSF) is required to expedite the procedure under the PPH but is not obliged to accept the opinion on patentability issued by the Office of First Filing (OFF).

Currently, IPO CZ has signed PPH Patent Prosecution Highway agreements with USPTO, EPO, JPO, PRH, and CNIPA. In addition, IPO CZ has signed bilateral agreements with Finland, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Austria, Slovenia and Spain. Applicants can submit search reports from partner offices to obtain the advantages of accelerated examination in specific countries.